‘He Will Die In Jail’: Imran Khan Health Concerns Prompt Urgent Appeal From Seven Australian Cricket Greats

The concerns surrounding Imran Khan’s health in prison have now reached the Australian government, with seven former Australian cricket captains urging Foreign Minister Penny Wong to intervene.

Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Allan Border, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Belinda Clark have written to Wong over what they describe as troubling reports about the former Pakistan captain’s treatment in detention.

Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since 2023 and remains at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The former Pakistan prime minister’s health, particularly his eyesight and access to medical treatment, has become a growing concern among his family and former cricketing contemporaries.

‘We Are Concerned That He Will Die in Jail’: Why Australian Legends Have Intervened

The seven former captains stressed that their appeal was humanitarian rather than political. They recalled Chappell's last meeting with Khan in Islamabad in 2022, when the former Pakistan leader was still prime minister and, according to Chappell, appeared fit and healthy.

“Greg Chappell last saw Imran Khan in Islamabad in 2022, when Khan was Prime Minister - hale, hearty and fit, by his account. It is hard to reconcile that image with the reports now coming out of his detention, and that is why we write to you today, not as diplomats or political actors, but as former Australian captains who felt we should speak up.”

The letter also highlighted Khan's cricketing legacy and humanitarian work.

“Mr Khan led Pakistan to its only World Cup title. He also led his country as Prime Minister. Australians hold him in great regard — as a cricketer whose skill and leadership left a lasting mark on the game we share, and as someone who has helped improve the lives of Pakistanis by building cancer hospitals,” the captains wrote.

Asked why the group had renewed its appeal, Chappell gave a stark answer:

“We are concerned that he will die in jail.”

The captains said reports from Khan's family and other sources pointed to concerns over medical care, family access and legal contact. They deliberately separated those concerns from Khan's legal and political cases.

“We take no position on the legal or political case against him. That is Pakistan's business. But the treatment of any person in detention is a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics.”

Australian Captains Ask Government to Raise Issue With Pakistan

The intervention follows a broader international cricketing campaign over Khan's welfare. More than 20 former international captains recently appealed directly to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for independent medical assessment and proper treatment.

The latest Australian appeal comes after Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered Khan's transfer to a private hospital for medical treatment in August. He was instead taken briefly to a government hospital and returned to prison, prompting further criticism from his supporters and concerns over whether the court's directions were being fully implemented.

The seven Australians therefore asked their own government to raise the matter directly with Pakistani authorities.

“This is not the first time international captains have raised this concern. It has been brought to public attention on two separate occasions in the past six months, and the reports since then — now echoed by his own family — suggest the situation has not improved.”

They added that Chappell had sought a meeting with Wong to discuss the matter personally.

The appeal comes as former cricketers from around the world continue to frame Khan's situation primarily as a question of humane treatment and medical care. Current Australia captain Pat Cummins has also publicly supported calls for Khan to receive court-ordered medical assessment and continued family access.